Missouri Attorney General Hanaway Sues Temu for Malicious Data Collection and Deceiving Consumers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an effort to keep Missourians’ personal information out of the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a suit against Temu, an e-commerce platform based in China. Using misleading pricing, false statements about product quality, and other harmful business practices, Temu has violated Missouri residents’ privacy, hurt Missouri brands, and may have aided the CCP in the process.

“My advice to all Missourians is to delete this app. Temu lied to you, stole your data, packaged it up, and potentially delivered it to the CCP,” said General Hanaway. “Our office will continue to crack down on illegal operations that intentionally harm Missouri consumers through deception and unlawful business practices. We will fight to protect Missourians’ privacy and to secure restitution for those victimized by Temu.”

A multi-year expert investigation has found that Temu intentionally and covertly stole large amounts of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from users’ mobile devices. This includes real-time location data within 10 feet of accuracy, microphone access, camera access, a list of all apps and accounts downloaded on devices, and much more.

The lawsuit alleges that the Temu app is intentionally designed to hack into devices and facilitate extensive data exfiltration. The app can evade detection of this PII theft by reconfiguring itself without the user’s knowledge or consent, even after having been downloaded. Temu also uses large swaths of code from an earlier version of the app that was banned by the Google Play Store for serious malware concerns. Multiple portions of Temu’s code are widely recognized by experts as spyware and malware.

Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings, maintains substantial operations in mainland China, where the law obligates companies to provide authorities with unrestricted access to their data and to keep any such access confidential. PDD’s own public filings acknowledge this risk, though Temu users are never informed when they sign up. As a result, Temu and American users’ intimate and private data are at the mercy of the Chinese communist regime.

Temu disregards parental authority with zero age verification or parental consent measures, and uses manipulative tactics pointed towards minors such as child-targeted advertising and gamification. By specifically focusing on impressionable children, Temu puts minors at great risk, not only for surreptitious collection of their personal data and information, but also for physical harm. Temu’s platform includes listings for drug paraphernalia, weapons, and other dangerous items that are made readily available to minors.

“As we move into the holiday season, Missourians need to be especially wary of what websites, applications, and e-commerce platforms they and their children use. As we’ve seen in this case, many apps aren’t as safe as they may appear,” concluded General Hanaway. “We want children to be safe in every online space, whether they’re using social media or engaging as consumers.”

Widespread illegal listings for unlicensed merchandise bearing the trademarks of the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Blues, Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser, and the University of Missouri have also been found.

In addition to the discovery of unlicensed merchandise, federal investigators have raised serious concerns about Temu’s supply chain. A recent report issued by the United States House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party found that Temu shipments arriving from Communist-led China are likely to contain goods produced by forced labor and that Temu has made no meaningful effort to screen or verify its supply chain.

General Hanaway is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting Temu from continuing to violate the rights of Missourians, civil penalties, and other relief for violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.

Missourians who believe they have been affected by Temu’s business practices may submit a complaint online at ago.mo.gov or by calling 800-392-8222.

Read the full lawsuit against Temu.

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